Currently, the Hellenic Air Force operates several models of fighter aircraft, namely the Mirage 2000-5, the F-4 Phantom, the F-16 Block 30, the F-16 Block 50/52, the F-16 “Viper,” and the Rafale. Recently, the Greek Minister of Defense, Nikos Dendias, emphasized the need to rationalize the Greek fighter aircraft fleet by reducing the number of fleets.
Therefore, the plan is to retire the F-4 Phantom and the Mirage 2000-5 from service soon. The Block 50/52 versions of the F-16s will undergo an upgrade to the “Viper” standard. The fate of the approximately thirty F-16 Block 30 aircraft is still uncertain. The Greek press quickly suggested that Kyiv, to whom the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, and Belgium have already promised at least 45 aircraft of this type, could receive them.
Newsbreak wrote on April 7 that the 32 F-16C/D Block 30 transfer to Ukraine is almost certain. Three days later, the meeting between the Greek Minister of Defense and his Dutch counterpart, Kajsa Ollongren, added fuel to the rumor, given that the Netherlands co-leads, with Denmark, the “F-16 for Ukraine” coalition, which Greece has also joined.
However, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis ended speculations during an interview with the Polish daily “Rzeczpospolita” on April 15. “First of all, I would like to clarify that we are not ready to transfer F-16 aircraft to Ukraine. This information appeared in the media, but it is false. However, I will emphasize that we have supported and will continue to support Ukraine,” he affirmed before alluding to territorial disputes between Athens and Ankara.
“I am committed to continue supporting Ukraine to the best of our abilities without compromising our own, as we too live in a complicated part of the world,” the Greek Prime Minister asserted. “We have a very complex problem regarding the delimitation of maritime zones in the Aegean Sea in the Eastern Mediterranean. It has not yet been possible to resolve it. But that does not mean that we should constantly be in a state of heightened vigilance in reaction to Turkish provocations,” he added, noting an improvement in relations between Athens and Ankara since last year.
